Pocket size reference index

ABSTRACT

A POCKET SIZE INDEX, USEFUL FOR ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS, UTILIZES A COMPACT CASING ENCLOSING TWO SPINDLES ON WHICH AN INDEX STRIP IS COILED IN AN S-SHAPE. THE CASING HAS A WIDOW ADJACENT TO ONE OF THE SPINDLES. PROJECTING KNOBS ON THE SPINDLES HAVE GEARED SURFACES ENGAGING EACH OTHER, FOR ROTATION IN OPPOSITE SENSES. THE ELASTICITY OF THE STRIP SOMEWHAT EQUALIZES THE OTHER DIAMETER OF THE TWO COILS, MAINTAINING THE STRIP PRESENTED FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE WINDOW, REGARDLESS OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SPINDLE ADJACENT TO IT MAY BE UNWOUND.

N v- 6, 1911 F. D. MARHANKA 3,619,921

POCKET SIZE REFERENCE INDEX Filed Sept. 24, 1969 mg 4 FIG. as

F'QANK D- MAQHAN KA United States Patent O1 3,619,921 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 ice 3,619,921 POCKET SIZE REFERENCE INDEX Frank D. Marhanka, 30 Ruth Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63031 Filed Sept. 24, 1969, Ser. No. 860,718 Int. Cl. G09]? 11/24 U.S. C]. 40-95 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pocket size index, useful for addresses and telephone numbers, utilizes a compact casing enclosing two spindles on which an index strip is coiled in an S-shape. The casing has a window adjacent to one of the spindles. Projecting knobs on the spindles have geared surfaces engaging each other, for rotation in opposite senses. The elasticity of the strip somewhat equalizes the other diameter of the two coils, maintaining the strip presented fairly close to the window, regardless of the extent to which the spindle adjacent to it may be unwound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A common type of reference index makes available at one time only a portion of the stored material, such as a single name, address and telephone number. Heretofore, such reference indexes have utilized two spindles on which an index strip was wound, to be transported past a viewing window. Such indexes have been made of a variety of sizes, ordinarily much larger than pocket size, with their spindles separated from each other by a substantial dis tance; in a typical case this distance is utilized to provide a flat display for the reference material to be viewed. The spindles on such devices are generally rotated in the same direction, and not geared together; and the index strip is maintained under tension.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purposes of the present invention include the providing of an index capable of storing a substantial quantity of reference material, in the smallest possible space, and with a minimum of complexity.

Generally summarizing the present invention, without limiting its scope, I provide a pocket size index having a pair of spindles on which a reference index strip is coiled in an S-shape, that is, the direction of coiling on one spindle being opposite to that on the other. An elongated hollow casing receives the spindles and includes means to mount them on parallel axes adjacent to each other. The casing has a longitudinal window adjacent to one of the spindles, or, optionally, adjacent to each spindle.

Knob means to turn the spindles project from one end of the casing; and gear means interconnect the spindles for simultaneous rotation, in opposite senses, to transport the strip past the window without tension. In the preferred embodiment to be described, the knob means are cylindrical, and meshing indentations in their cylindrical surfaces serve as the gear means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a pocket size reference index embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a right end view thereof, partly broken away.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes a casing, generally designated 10, which is elongated and hollow, and is molded of plastic material to a somewhat flattened bullet shape. Such a casing 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Its integral nose end 11 has a front end face 12 in which an eye 13 is mounted, to permit the index to hang from a key chain or the like. The right or opposite end 14 is left open, for easy molding. Within the integral end 11 are molded, as part of the means to mount the spindles hereinafter described, a pair of spindle-receiving socket indentations 16, as shown in FIG. 1, lo cated symmetrically from center. The spacing between them, designated b, establishes the spacing of the axes d, f, for mounting the spindles to be described.

While the outer wall of the casing 10 may be formed ornamentally as desired, its inner wall has, as its opposed narrower walls, two arcuate curved surfaces 19, 20, one spacedly adjacent to each spindle axis d, f, and formed about them as centers of rotation. These arcuate inner wall portions 19, 20 are connected by longer, straight wall portions 21 as shown in FIG. 4. In the arcuate wall 19, shown uppermost in FIGS. 2 and 4, is an elongated window opening 22 into which a transparent plastic window 23 may be fitted. A similar window opening 22' and window 23 may optionally be provided in the opposite arcuate wall 20.

Within the opposite end opening 14, shown at the right of FIGS. 1 and 2, an end cap plate 25 is fitted. Preferably the end cap plate 25 is a flat-sided member whose outer edge conforms to the inner cross-section of the hollow casing 10, save for two edge notches 26, which facilitate installation and removal. Bearing bores 27 through the end cap plate 25 serve as means, at the right end of the casing 10, to mount the spindles to be described.

A pair of plastic spindles 30 are utilized, having rounded forward ends 31 which fit into the socket indentations 16. At their opposite ends, the spindles have diametrically enlarged shaft portions 32, to fit easily through the bearing bores 27 in the end cap plate 25. Between their forward ends 31 and their diametrically enlarged portions 32, the spindles 30 have elongated slots 33.

On each spindle 30 at its diametrically enlarged end 32 is mounted a substantially cylindrical knob 35 whose cylindrical surface has equally spaced gearing indentations 36. The diameter of the knobs 35 is such that their gearing indentations 36 are in mesh with each other, thus to interconnect the spindles 30 for simultaneous rotation in opposite senses. The knobs 35 are mounted outwardly of the end cap plate 25, to project from the casing -10.

A reference index strip 40 is mounted by its ends to the plastic spindles 30, by threading through their slots 33. Such an index strip 40 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the latter best showing the S-shaped pattern in which it is coiled, in opposite senses, about the two spindles 30. The width of the strip 40 is such as to extend from the dia metrically enlarged shaft portion 32 of each spindle 30 to a point close to its forward end 31. Fairly strong paper, such as ordinary adding machine tape, has elastic bending resistance sufiicient to hold the strip 40 in the S-shaped pattern shown in FIG. 4, when the strip 40 is guided in part by the arcuate curved inner wall surfaces 19. In a more expensive embodiment, greater elastic bending resistance might be achieved by using a plastic film strip.

In use, the plastic spindles 30* are preliminarily assembled to the end cap plate 25 by press fitting a simple collar 4-1 onthe innermost part of the diametrically enlarged shaft portion 32 of each spindle 30, then applying the end cap plate over the enlarged shaft portions 32 to bear against the collars 41, and press fitting the knobs 35 on the projecting ends of the shaft portions 32. An index strip 40, made out so that reference data such as a single name and address appears at intervals along the strip, is threaded to one of the spindles, for example, onto the upper spindle shown in FIG. 4. The other end of the strip 40 is then brought between the spindles and threaded through the slot 33 of the lower spindle 30, for winding in the opposite direction to that on the upper spindle 30. The reference material is on the outer side of the winding on the upper spindle 30, and on the inner side of the winding on the lower spindle 30. The spindles so assembled to the end cap plate 25, are then inserted into the elongated casing 10 and the end cap plate 25 is pressed firmly in place.

The gearing indentations 36 on the knobs 35 make them easy to manipulate. As either of the knobs 36 is turned, the other is rotated simultaneously in the opposite sense, at the same angular speed of rotation. As will be obvious from FIG. 4, as the upper of the spindles 30 is unwound, in a single revolution it will discharge a much greater length of paper strip 40 than can be wound on the lower spindle 30 in a single revolution. However, the elastic bending resistance of the strip 40 tends to maintain the diameters of the two coils (that is the portion around each of the spindles 30) fairly constant. Thus when in the stage of winding shown in FIG. 4, the lower coil will be extremely loose while the upper coil is substantially tight; but guided by the arcuate inner wall surfaces :19, the strip 40 will not become fouled during any stage of winding. While there will be some variation in the travel of the strip 40 past the window opening 22, at constant rotation of the knobs 35, the variation of the two coils from equal diameter will not be so great as to interfere with reading the reference material on the strip 40 through the window opening 22.

Thus, utilizing only two spindles, geared to rotate in opposite directions at the same angular rate, permits an index strip having some resistance to bending and guided by opposed arcuate end walls, to be presented to the window opening for easy reading at all stages of winding.

If the optional window opening 22 and window 23 are also provided, the reverse surface of the strip 40 will be exposed to view. This surface may be used for writing or typing additional reference material, thus doubling the storage capacity of the index. Likewise, there is a linear interrelation between the two window openings 22, 22' and reference material on both sides of the strip 4 40; so that data related to what appears through the first opening 22 may be so positioned on the reverse side of the strip 40 as to be visible simultaneously through the second window opening 22'. In the claim which follows, where the present invention is referred to as a pocket size reference index, these terms are meant to indicate only the potential compactness of the construction defined. Many alternative uses, and structural modifications obvious for such uses, will occur to persons familiar with the art.

I claim: 1. A pocket size reference index, comprising an elongated hollow casing, means therein to establish and fix parallel longitudinal spindle axes, inner wall surfaces spacedly adjacent to each of the spindle axes and opposite each other, which surfaces are arcuate and formed substantially about the adjacent spindle axes as centers, and a longitudinal window formed through each of said arcuate surfaces and opposite to each other, together with a pair of spindles mounted for rotation along the axes so established and fixed, knob means mounted on said spindles and projecting from the casing, and knob means having gearing indentations in mesh with each other, and a reference index strip formed of a material having elastic bending resistance at least equal to that of paper, and having its ends mounted to the spindles and being coiled on them in opposite senses in an S-shaped pattern, whereby, when the knobs so geared together are turned, the arcuate inner surfaces of the casing serve as guides for the index strip and accommodate slack resulting from turning unequally wound spindles through equal angular distances, thereby to present reference material on one side of the strip immediately inward of one of said windows and reference material on the other side of the strip immediately inward of the other of said windows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,654 3/1932 Blahut 40-95 2,764,827 10/1956 Custin 40--l17 3,209,477 10/1965 McGaifey 40-86 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner L. R. OREMLAND, Assistant Examiner 

